Dead Popular
by DarkRose1902
Summary: While in the air the BAU team consider their new case and a now thirty-year-old Reid tries to prove he is not still affected by his years at high school.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** _Dead Popular_  
**Author:** DarkRose1902  
**Fandom:** Criminal Minds  
**Genre: **Angst  
**Rating:** T  
**Warnings: **None – I think  
**Spoilers: **including season 6 and in particular episode S3E16  
**Summery:** While in the air the BAU team consider their new case and a now thirty-year-old Reid tries to prove he is not still affected by his years at high school.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters you recognise but do own the ones you don't. This is my way of loving them.

Story

Each member of the BAU had heard about the terrible mass murder before arriving at work. They had all evaluated whether the case would be handed to them and each felt an uneasy urgent feeling that it should be. It was something of a relief when they walked into the bullpen and Garcia motioned them into the meeting room.

On the screen were graphic images of five dead cheerleaders. On the table was a stack of folders.

"We have a lot of work to do quickly there's another crime scene to go over," Hotch said in his usual grim tone,

"So soon?" Morgan asked from the door,

"Cheerleader's again?" Reid questioned already reading through a report,

"One and her boyfriend. The police are trying to keep this one out the press until we can determine whether that would will help or just cause a panic."

"From the same school?" Derek Morgan asked staring at Reid while he sat and opened a folder,

"No the second . . ."

"From the top Garcia," Hotch interjected gently,

"Yes sir," she sent a tight smile out to the room as Emily, the last to arrive, took her seat.

"Five members of the Lily White Cheerleading squad were shot and killed last night." Garcia reeled off their names and ages without looking at where they were displayed on the screen. Each had a smiling photo of them alive and a gruesome image of them dead.

"They were walking down a road on their way to a local cinema,"

"Dressed in their uniforms?" Rossi asked,

"Cheerleaders and most school athletes actually wear their kits as often as possible." Reid answered with an unknown emotion none of his team recognised.

"I see," Rossi shared a look with Hotch and Reid looked away uncomfortably.

"The shooter murdered them quickly and efficiently – the last victim had barely turned to run," Garcia looked over at the screen then, an expression of sorrow dimming her naturally bubbly personality.

"Publically too," Emily added looking through the crime scene photo's and asked,

"Were there no witnesses?"

"The road was closed to traffic for works." Garcia answered and the photo on the screen changed to a wider view of the crime scene.

"Any cameras?" Emily asked,

"The electricity was down while the teams carried out their work," Garcia was clearly cursing that in her head.

"Luck or planning?" Morgan wondered out loud but no one could answer him yet.

"The police think they were killed about eight twenty. Another group of teenagers found them at eight forty."

"No one heard gun shots?" Emily asked sceptically,

"This is Oakland – if they did they didn't call it in." Rossi answered candidly,

"…" Emily sent him an inquisitive stare,

"Oakland, California has had one of the highest crime rates in the US for years. In 2003 the murder rate was 3.5 times higher than the national average and . . ."

"Not a safe place I got it," Emily smiled at Reid even as she cut him off,

"The second crime scene was by a car in the front garden of the victims' house." Garcia clicked her laptop and the photos changed to the latest victims and the second crime scene. The boy had tried to position himself in front of the girl who was wearing a bright cheerleading outfit.

"Different school and only one victim was a cheerleader this time." Morgan thought out loud.

"Matthew Williamson arrived about seven this morning to take his girlfriend Laura Finchley to school. Neighbours said he often ate breakfast at her place."

"Were her parents in?" Reid asked,

"No they left five minutes beforehand to take Laura's younger brothers to school."

"And this crime scene was reported much sooner?" It was only nine now.

"Yes a neighbour looked out his window when he heard the two shots saw the couple. He missed the shooter and called an ambulance but they were both already dead."

"Good marksman to kill seven people all with just one shot," Morgan commented,

"Large calibre bullets," Garcia corrected him,

"Smith and Weston Magnum .50 calibre," Reid said the only one to have finished the report.

"Wow that's overkill. Any idea what type of gun fired it?" Morgan flicked through the photos.

"No but ballistics will known by the time we arrive. Garcia as soon as we leave please call the lead detective and ask him to warn other schools in the area. It looks like this is person is not going to stop until caught and cheerleaders are clearly his target. We should arrive before the end of school but I want a heavy police presence at every school hopefully that will put this guy off."

Hotch paused to look at his team, waiting to see if anyone had anything to add or perhaps see if they wanted to disagree with him. No one said anything so he continued,

"Alright, wheels up in thirty minutes. The flight is nearly five hours so we'll have plenty of time to strategise. Garcia check into school and police reports of all the dead students. It's possible someone had a serious grudge against these kids and not just cheerleaders in general. Send them all to us. And a list of locals who own a gun capable of firing that type of bullet."

"Yes sir,"

The first hour of the flight was silent except for paper rustling as the team read through every report carefully and then again; each working through their ideas. Then Hotch called for a group discussion.

"Initial thoughts?" he asked,

"Targeting a group like this, he's angry at them so was probably bullied at school." Morgan spoke first,

"I think it's more than that – if he was angry about past grievances wouldn't he have gone after the perpetrators?" Reid asked confidently,

"Not necessarily they were all wearing an outfit that could easily just represent a group of people he is angry at,"

"Look at the crime scene though, look at where they died – in a half circle; classic predatory positioning."

"You think this unsub was bullied by these girls? That he is the same age as the victims?" Morgan questioned smoothly and then asked,

"They were all wearing cheerleading outfits he wouldn't have to have known them personally,"

"Yea but think about why would he have been in that closed road? It's not somewhere an adult would just be walking." Reid backed up his viewpoint.

"He could have been lying in wait for them – he must have planned this, what are the chances he would be carrying around a gun that size with no intention of using it even in Oakland?"

"How would an adult know they were going to be there at that time?" Reid countered,

"So you think what? A teen planned all this?" Morgan asked scornfully,

"Do mass murders usually plan their first attack?" Emily asked interrupting the current tennis match,

"Yes but the fact that this unsub killed again in twelve hours makes it more difficult. Spree killer by their very nature shoot randomly," Morgan pointed out in frustration.

"So we think our unsub is an organised spree mass murderer?" Hotch questioned with scepticism,

"When you put it like that," Emily sighed.

"Hotch what are you expecting Garcia to find?" Morgan asked suddenly, filling in the sudden depressive silence.

"I'm not sure. I agree with you the skill and organisation would suggest an adult but after the second scene I also agree with Reid; shooting five cheerleaders in the street is one thing but going to their house suggests a higher level of interaction."

"That doesn't mean it wasn't an adult. A teacher or guidance councillor or the parent of a kid being bullied would all know where Laura Finchley lived." Morgan said doggedly holding onto his point of view. Before anyone could say anything else Garcia popped up on Hotch's laptop,

"Hello lovely people. So I spoke to the lead guy, one Detective Roche, and he has spoken to the schools in the area. A few of the richer ones have hired private security firms and a couple have even closed for the day including the one the first victims went too."

"That's not good – they're going to make it easier for the unsub to find targets," Hotch said frowning.

"Detective Roche said he tried to stop them but they think telling all the cheerleaders to stay out their uniforms will keep them safe. By talking to the pupils there is no way to keep the second attack from the press."

"This unsub can probably spot a cheerleader even out of uniform," Reid interjected, thinking of the cheerleaders from his past – very distinctive look and attitude; easily identified especially to someone that had been bullied by them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

"Have you found out anything about our victims?" Hotch questioned Garcia,

"Nothing too unusual; most of them have been in trouble for bad behaviour but no one I spoke to accused the girls of being bullies and no action has ever been taken against any of them." Garcia slid her eyes to Reid knowing how he felt about that. She noted Morgan was sending Reid concerned looks.

"Anything on the people who made the complaints?" Reid said keeping his cool. He was thirty – time to put his school years well and truly behind him. Garcia's fingers raced over her keyboard searching for official records of her rather long list.

"Lets see nine have speeding tickets, four have arrest records for criminal damage, drunk and disorderly and vandalism. Several have hospital records for bruise injuries constant with punches, kicks all during school hours. Oh my one here is for an attempted suicide. Only sixteen that's so sad . . ."

"Focus Garcia,"

"Sorry sir, I've just emailed you the records."

"Thanks Garcia. Anything on gun owners?"

"No sir. I'm still trying to get the records." Garcia paused and then asked,

"Did you want me to ask Detective Roche to talk to the schools again?" Hotch looked at the table where a picture of the first crime scene was,

"I suspect he's busy Garcia," Hotch said quietly.

"I'll go through the records of the teachers, parents and wider student body," Garcia said needing to help as much as possible,

"Check nearby schools as well," Garcia nodded and disappeared.

"Is there a specific target?" Hotch asked again breaking up the silence,

"You mean more than anyone in a cheerleader's uniform?" Rossi clarified,

"Maybe, the unsub going to Laura's house makes her the most obvious target." Emily pointed out,

"You think the first five were an opportunistic attack and when they were dead the unsub had given themselves the … incentive to go after the person they really wanted dead?" Rossi said thoughtfully,

"It's possible," Emily considered this carefully and then asked,

"But who would come across five teenage girls in a deserted road and think that was an opportunity to kill them?"

"And who would have enough skill to kill seven people with seven shots?" Morgan asked with a rather pointed stare at Reid.

"There aren't any definitive statistics on gun ownership but given the level of gun crime in Oakland the availability of guns is likely to be high and there are twenty-three shooting ranges in California State." Hotch, Rossi and Emily suddenly became aware of the tension between Morgan and Reid. Usually the two were close friends but something about this case was pulling them apart.

"Plus you don't need any great skill to kill someone with a magnum bullet of that calibre." Reid added with an unusually snobbish tone.

The light plane shuddered slightly as Garcia appeared again,

"Sir!" she said urgently,

"What happened?" Garcia answered quickly,

"The unsub is a girl!"

"A … girl?"

"She attacked a group but ran out of bullets – there are witnesses this time sir,"

"Do the police have a name?"

"No she's about their age but doesn't go to their school."

"Was it the same school . . ."

"No sir the Julius Caesar High School."

"Where?"

"Right outside the back gates. Police indicate at least five dead and more injured."

"Injured?"

"I don't have any more details but witnesses' say she shot until her gun ran out of bullets,"

"Go back to focusing on the first two schools."

"Yes sir," Garcia disappeared again leaving the team stunned at her pronouncement.

"A girl?" Rossi repeated,

"Looks like you were right Reid," Morgan conceded sharing intently at his friend,

"I wish I wasn't," Reid said evenly,

"Under eighteen and twelve dead," Emily tried to take it in,

"What could make someone so young so angry?"

"Sixteen and bullied non-stop, with no one to help, graduation seems a long way off," Reid said speaking from experience.

"Doesn't excuse this!" Morgan said motioning the photos. Reid followed his hand and gazed at them for a long minute. Then he suddenly pulled the laptop close to him and opened the report on the attempted suicide. He tapped it with his finger and connected to Garcia.

"Hey Garcia,"

"Yea sweetness,"

"Do you have any more information on Phoebe Bradley she's . . .?"

"The kid that tried to kill herself," everyone heard frantic typing as Garcia followed Reid's thinking,

"Released from hospital four days ago,"

"Reid?" Hotch stopped Penelope before she rushed ahead.

"Sir … I … the person … the girl who did this …" Reid often babbled; when he was nervous, scared or more commonly when his brain worked faster than his mouth. It frustrated the team but they were all grateful for his quick thinking.

"Reid!" Despite being grateful they weren't above hurrying him along.

"She doesn't care about living anymore … she wants to die,"

"And take as many of her tormenters with her." Morgan agreed. Hotch looked between them as Rossi said,

"Makes sense."

"But why the two schools?" Emily questioned,

"She went to both of them, changed just last year." Garcia said looking at a screen in front of her,

"To avoid bullies," Emily concluded.

"Garcia call detective Roche and give him all the details." Hotch instructed hoping now they had identified her they could catch her.

"Way to go Reid," Garcia praised and disappeared again. Reid blushed at her words and the team smiled at him. Then the laptop pinged and they had the reports on Phoebe to concentrate on.

Despite the new wealth of information to examine to try and find their target, each team member spent a large proportion of their time watching Reid. He pretended to be oblivious although when Morgan gestured him over to the back of the jet he sighed and glared at his friend but followed him,

"What Morgan!"

"Easy kid I just want to see how you are?"

"I'm fine!" he answered loudly in contrast to Morgan's soft query.

"I wish everyone would stop looking at me like I'm going to flip," he continued this time quietly.

"We're worried about you,"

"I'm thirty, Morgan; high school was a long, long time ago,"

"Some scars last a lifetime," Morgan also spoke from experience and Reid's hard expression softened.

"You told Garcia about what I told you, didn't you?" he questioned tonelessly,

"Not exactly but I mentioned you had a really bad experience with cheerleaders and jocks."

"The way you've been looking at me I thought you'd think I was planning on helping," Morgan heard the hurt in his voice but didn't understand,

"Help who?"

"The unsub." he said his big eyes staring forlornly at Morgan (who at that point really missed the flop of hair that used to cover them).

"I know you better than that,"

"What's with all the looks?"

"Last time you emphasised with the unsub you could have been killed – I just don't want the same thing to happen again,"

"I can take care of myself,"

"Sure you can but I'm allowed to worry." Reid frowned at his friend who just smiled back easily. They moved back to the others who were discussing where the sixteen year old Phoebe might go next.

"She's got a sister, two half sisters and four step siblings all older. She's also got a dozen younger family members." Emily grumbled,

"That's a lot of possibilities," Rossi agreed.

"Her mum has married four times and presumably dated in between. Her third husband has a hunting and gun permit," Reid said reading the full report.

"He might have taken an interest in her; taught her how to shoot."

"Detective Roche probably has the family covered," Morgan pointed out.

"You're right we should focus on where she might find more victims," Hotch looked at Reid, who got out a map,

"The three schools are all in the east district heading in a westward direction,"

"Could she be planning to kill herself on the coast?" Rossi asked looking at Reid.

"It's more likely she will die in a shoot out with the cops – she's not trying to hide anymore." Reid looked down and away wishing he was there on the ground to help.

"Alright I'll tell Garcia, which is the more likely school?" Hotch asked,

"That one," Emily answered and those that could easily see the map nodded. After relaying the information to Garcia the plane was silent for a long pause.

"I hate long flights," Emily said out the blue and everyone agreed frustrated with the long delay in being able to help. They were about to list everything they hated most when the plan shuddered a second time,

"THAT!" Emily exclaimed and elaborated,

"I hate the way small planes shake so easily," as she finished speaking the plane dipped and then bounced up again. Another shudder and the co-pilot appeared to ask everyone to seat down and buckle up.

"Could we move to the middle of the country?" she asked Hotch as everyone moved to sit down.

"I'll ask Strauss," he answered with a rare grin as the plane wobbled again. The team laughed releasing some pent-up stress and worry.

Suddenly a teary eyed Garcia appeared on the laptop (that Hotch now had to hold to stop it vibrating off the juddering table).

"Garcia?" Hotch exclaimed and everyone leaned over to try and see her,

"Sir …" she started to talk as the plane dipped again and something on board fell over,

"Sir is everything ok?"

"Just turbulence what happened?"

"She's dead." Garcia paused as the table shook violently enough the laptop flickered,

"What happened?" Hotch seemed determined to ignore the struggling plane as it battled through the air.

"Detective Roche was on his way to the school but one of the parents was a cop and already there. When Phoebe appeared he fired shot her," Garcia paused again but this time to breathe deeply (to not cry the team knew),

"I didn't get a clear report but it looks like he stopped her from killing anyone else," Garcia smiled faintly and slid worried eyes towards Reid. The team followed her stare and Reid bit his lip to avoid shouting at them,

"He's a hero," he said almost bitterly and looked out the window at the passing dark clouds; he wondered if high schools would ever be safe from bullies.

Fin


End file.
